The Black Woman's Guide
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Pictures, Pictures, Pictures! (Updated 8/11/07)
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Happy Summer! (8/11/07)
Hello Ladies,
I have been so bad about posting pictures, nuggets and writing newsletters lately. I am struggling to balance family and work -- I am sure other mothers out there can relate. I have been working to improve/refine my line of hair care products, finish a long overdue book on weight-loss, redesign this website (really create a new one), work to help my husband with his business, AND the kids are still out for summer vacation from school!
During times of overload a lot of the things I want to do creatively and on a personal level either fall by the wayside or get scaled back. Many of you may have noticed that I have not made as many updates to the site as I have wanted, and I have been so much slower on responding to mail. I am sorry, but I am on overload. Because of that, over the last year I have also been neglecting my hair from a conditioning perspective...
A cousin with beautiful hair mentioned that she did not deep condition at home (sitting under a dryer with conditioner on) after shampooing. Because she gets such good results, and because I have been so busy, I talked myself into believing that I could keep my hair sufficiently conditioned by doing pre-shampoo conditioning treatments... I used mostly hot oil and creme moisturizers (e.g., Motions, Garnier Fructis, KeraCare Humecto, etc.). During this time, I also have been allowing my stylist to blow dry my hair after relaxers and coloring appts, even though she was using a conditioner that does not require heat for activation (so no deep conditioner). Regardless, my hair just looks so smooth and silky when after she blow drys it and bumps the ends -- It looks a lot longer than air drying normally gets it, and I get so many compliments (I will post a picture for you to see later)!
Anyway, at the last appt I had (for color) about 7 weeks before this picture was taken, my stylist looked at my ends and said she didn't like the way things were looking, so she recommended a protein treatment. I agreed and mentioned that I had been swimming quite a bit and had just returned from GA (I sweated a lot, and my hair would get wet anytime I wore it down). As a result, I kept noticing that my ends were looking frizzy and beaten up even though I trim them almost weekly to keep them even and split-end free. To combat this, I had been spritzing them daily with my Moisturizing & Detangling Mist, rubbing on a little Oil Spray and sealing them with a small amount of Ends Treatment. While this temporarily takes care of the symptoms, a more serious problem was being masked...
Long story short (more details coming in vol. 10 of newsletter), I started to kick myself for not following my own guidelines/book. I don't know if I thought I had "arrived" or that my hair was healthy from all of the recent years of deep conditioning, but I messed up. Didn't I tell people in my book that chemically-treated hair is damaged, so it needs to be deep conditioned on a regular basis????? Then I have the nerve to go almost a year without doing it!!!!! What on Earth was I thinking??????
Today (8/15) my stylist explained that even though my hair has felt good after I performed my light-conditioning routine, it is not providing sufficient conditioning benefit for the length and age of my hair or for the level of activity I participate in. So she recommended that I go back to deep conditioning weekly as soon as possible. She confirmed that the deep conditioning I do at home makes more of a difference than the ones she does at the salon. So I decided to go back to my old trusted regimen, which works, and I will document my findings in a 3rd edition of my book.
In the meantime, here is a picture from last week. It is after a long-awaited date night with the husband. I shampooed and deep conditioned, air dried and curled my hair under on four large Caruso curlers. I sprayed a little Isoplus Oil Sheen on it and separated the curls for each section without coming. I thought it looked pretty good before and after a night of dancing. Even though it looks nice and shiny here, I do agree with my stylist that if I want to get my hair into better shape, I must deep condition. So for now own, I have re-learned my lesson -- my hair is not exempt, and what I knew to be true before for my hair is still true today!
Hopefully you are all deep conditioning as needed and taking care of your hair, mind, body and spirit on a daily basis!
Take Care & God Bless,
Carolyn
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3-9-07 A Belated Happy New Year (Part 1 -- Hair Up)
Hello Ladies,
Hope you all are well. Sorry it has been so long since I last posted a picture. I have been meaning to do it for weeks, but you know how life goes... In this picture I am soooo.... tired! After a busy day at work, commuting home, it is Friday night, and my son had basketball practice and then my other son had an end of the season party to go to. Oh yeah, and we went to Target in between! I let my husband go watch the NCAA basketball games, so I did not get home until almost 10 pm! I am still wearing my work clothes, and I am not just tired, but I am "tied" right about now! Is a mom's job ever done?
I originally planned to come home after all of the activity, pop open a can of Red Bull and work on finishing my latest book, but my husband needed me to find the digital camera. So after I found it, I remembered that I needed to take pictures for the website. So instead of chilling, I decided to share two pictures: 1) a picture of me wearing my low-maintenance, protective hair style, shown here (as you may have guessed, this is not all my hair); and 2) a picture after I took the hair piece off (I did comb it a little so I wouldn’t look as crazy as I feel, especially since the ends are “crunchy”). Note to self, don’t work out wearing a hair piece when your hair is in a bun underneath! The hair gets damp and it dries slowly because it is covered.).
It has been cold and windy in my neck of the woods, so I just put my hair in a bun, covered it with a hair piece, pinned it, and brushed my edges down. Now speaking of my edges, I let my stylist put permanent color around my edges last week (I normally do semi or demi) to try to more effectively fight the gray. This was just a test to see if I would get better results and to see how my hair would respond. Well, I must say the stylist was right about permanent color... I do think it can change the texture of your hair, and I noticed that my edges became more sparse/thinner. I really don’t believe permanent color is for everyone, especially me. Guess what else? In a week’s time, new gray is sprouting already, so I will never use permanent color again – it not worth the potential damage, and I can’t see where the results are worth the risks.
Now back to this hairstyle. I was very surprised that I got a lot of compliments from Indian women who did not realize that it wasn't all my hair. They actually said they want to buy a hair piece from the Home Shopping Network as well because it looks very believable. Go figure. The less I do, the more people like it! This style works for me occasionally as I try to give my ends a break from coats, scarves, sweaters, wind and cold. This is especially a good thing as my goal is now to thicken more so than to lengthen my hair.
Speaking of thickening, when I got my color done last week. My stylist looked at the right side of my hair with concern, and said, "I am not liking what I am seeing here." I basically brushed her off by saying, "Oh the ends are just crunchy because of me working out." She said, "No, it looks like major breakage is going on..." I looked to see what she meant, and I realized she was talking about the "new" hair that has been growing in and is just becoming noticeable. If you look at my pictures/posts over the last year and a half, you may hear how obsessed I am about taking it easy on the chemicals --relaxers and coloring. The reason I am so obsessed about relaxing/coloring with care is because I have been trying to get my hair to grow back thicker around my edges and on my right side for years. Not until I started stretching out my relaxers (10 weeks and beyond), stopped coloring at the same time as touch-ups and started using natural oils (e.g., rosemary, cedarwood, clary sage, etc. -- found in my HHIB Oil Spray) on my scalp did the hair start to grow back in these problem areas. So to the stylist it was alarming to see a section on my back right side was only shoulder length when most of my hair is past my brastrap when straight. So I was praising the Lord because I used to wonder if hair would ever grow back in those areas, especially when a dermatologist's prescription of steroids and Rogaine did not get the hair to grow back in these problem areas. So I am hoping to keep doing what I am doing and hopefully by the time I am 45 my hair will all be the same thickness and length! That is my dream anyway. So this is why you will continue to hear me lecture about the dangers of overuse of heavy-duty chemicals on our hair. Ladies, please be careful, especially with overlapping. Once your hair is overprocessed it can take years to recover. I wish someone would have told me in my late 20's or early 30's; however, I am glad that I found out before all of my hair experienced severe thinning. So please learn from my suffering.
Obviously I missed sharing. Sorry I talked your ear off, but hopefully you will give your hair a break as it needs it. Until the next time, please take care of yourself and your hair!
Peace, Love & Blessings for 2007,
Carolyn Gray
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3-09-07 (Part 2 Hair Down)
Hello Again,
I talked enough in part 1. I am still tired, but I am one step closer to getting the contacts out and enjoying my Red Bull! While the boys are playing in the basement, I posed for this last picture. Like I said, I took off the hair piece first and combed my hair out a bit. To be perfectly honest, I did put in two Caruso Steam Hairsetters on the ends for about 5 minutes. After taking them out, I combed the ends and put on a headband. Not a lot of effort, especially for curls that will last me at least through Monday. I think the Caruso curlers were my best find/buy during the 90's -- they are so much better than curling irons and electric curlers. I mean they have made my life so much easier. I would definitely recommend them to anyone who likes to wear their hair curly.
So I got myself looking relatively decent even though the husband isn't home, only to pin my hair up as soon as I take off my work clothes. I put on my glasses, throw on a bathrobe and my Betty Boop slippers and sit on the couch. Finally I am chilling! For a few minutes at least... Then my boys come up and change "my" channel to one of "their" movies! So I take my laptop upstairs with the Red Bull, and about an hour later, one of my sons is in the bed with me commenting during MY show! He falls asleep, and then he is baby-snoring while I try to work!!!! Do any of you other mothers out there feel my pain????? I am smiling now, but being a mom is a hectic job!!!!! That's why you don't see as many pictures/posts from and why you haven't gotten a recent newsletter. However, I hope to do better in 2007!
Anyway, I think I have said enough for this post. I will try to post another picture in the next week, as I am getting ready to try out another pre-shampoo conditioning routine, which I think might work very well. I shall keep you posted.
Again, Peace, Love & Continual Blessings,
Carolyn Gray
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12-17-06 Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
Hello Ladies,
Hope you all had a great holiday season. I did, but it all goes so quickly. You spend so much time, money and effort getting ready for Christmas, and it is over before you know it! I almost wish the season could have lasted a week longer. Oh well there's always next year!
Hopefully you all are experiencing the gift of beautiful, healthier hair in this coming new year. I am still on my quest for beautiful, healthier and thicker hair. In that quest I had a very positive conditioning experience a few weeks before this picture that I wanted to share. Before shampooing, I have started massaging my scalp with my HHIB Hot Oil Treatment. After putting it onto to my hair and ends, I smoothed on a generous amount Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise to my hair and ends. I then put a shower cap over my hair as I cleaned and worked around the house for at least an hour. Afterwards, I shampooed with Keracare Hydrating Detangling Shampoo and did a light conditioning with Keracare Humecto Crème Conditioner in the shower. I am here to tell you my hair was silky, silky as I rinsed out the conditioner. It felt too good!
I used the new and improved formula of my Moisturizing & Detangling Mist (available on 1/10/07) to comb through my hair. I then oiled my scalp with my HHIB Oil, and I air dried (in this picture my hair was blown dry at a salon though) like I normally do. My hair was so soft and shiny when it dried!
I am experimenting a lot with conditioning my hair before the shampoo. It is saving me time and effort. So when you are pressed for time, you may want to give it a try, especially this one. Would love to know if any of you try it. Feel free to drop me a line. Until then, be sure to take care of your hair, body and mind during the new year!
God Bless & Best Regards in The New Year,
Carolyn Gray
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9/24/06 Phase 1 (Hair Down)
Hello Ladies,
I am trying to make up for not posting pictures for such a long while. Here is a picture of me on Sunday after coming back from my son's soccer game and a Church celebration (my sister-in-law just released a gospel CD). So I decided to snap a few pictures.
Earlier in the day I did a pre-shampoo treatment with my HHIB Hot Oil Treatment, and I shampooed and conditioned with Doo Gro's MegaThick Anti-Thinning Shampoo and Conditioner. Overall, I think the products were okay. Maybe over the long-term they can deliver what they claim, but I am not very patient because I want a shampoo to be a great detangler, and I want my hair to be silky smooth afterwards. It was okay, but I struggled to get to my scalp while I was lathering, and I am not even at the five-week mark in my relaxer. As a result, there was a little residue left on my scalp. The conditioner did leave my hair feeling pretty smooth, so overall I would give the products a B- to a C+. Afterwards, I combed my hair through with my new and improved Moisturizing Detangling Mist, oiled my scalp with my Oil Spray and rubbed some on the hair and ends. I also put a little Ends Treatment on the ends. I then air dried my hair for almost an hour, and I blew the roots dry with my blow dryer. Once dry, I rubbed some Hair Creme onto sections of the hair and set my hair on five jumbo Caruso curlers going back and up. I left them in for about 10 minutes, and when I took them out, I sprayed my hair lightly with Isoplus Oil Spray. I then separated each section into individual spiral curls. I know it seems like a lot of steps, but from blow drying to the finished product, I only spent about 20 minutes on the effort.
The interesting part of this story is the fact that as I watched my son play his soccer game, it started to rain, and we didn't have an umbrella! Is that Murphy's Law or what? For the first few minutes I just sat there praying it wouldn't rain hard, but after a while I tried to cover my head with a chair covering. This didn't work so I said forget it. Fortunately, it didn't rain hard or long. So I was able to go to Church afterwards still looking decent (I didn't wear this top -this is just for the picture because it is hard to see dark hair on a black suit like I wore). I have found that the HHIB Oil Spray and Ends Treatment products keep my hair relatively frizz-free and straight even when it gets wet from sweat and/or rain, which is why I don't usually get too alarmed when I am caught in drizzle/light rain.
I am calling this look Phase 1 because once I left Church, I needed something more functional for getting people ready for the school/work week. So take a look at the Phase 2 picture to see an easy up-do I did. Just trying to give ideas. Hopefully it helps.
Best Regards,
Carolyn
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9-24-06 Phase 2 (Hair Up)
Hello Again,
I did everything mentioned in Phase 1: a preshampoo treatment, shampooed/conditioned, air dried and curled. However, as I tried to get ready for the school/work week, I pulled my hair in a side pony-tail, which I pulled up to the side, twisted and secured with a bobby pin on the top and one on the bottom. This is a quick and simple look which helped me do what I needed to do. Just sharing.
Take Care,
Carolyn
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Summer's Over (9-21-06)
Hi Ladies,
Sorry it has been a while, but I have been enjoying a wonderful summer. Now my kids are back in school, the homework has started (I did not miss this), I am back into the soccer mom role, it is getting darker sooner, so now I have taken my workouts back to the gym. During the summer we taught our kids how to play tennis, so most of my workouts were outside trying to beat my oldest son on the tennis court and the little running my knees will tolerate.
Now that I am back in the gym, keeping my ends from getting soaked is my goal. The use of my HHIB products (Oil Spray, Hair Creme and Ends Treatment) in the morning usually help keep my hair frizz-free and smooth even after I sweat, as long I keep the ends relatively dry. So today, I pulled my pony-tail up and secured it with bobby pins to keep it from touching my back and neck. This picture shows how my hair looked after I took the bobby pins out.
I can't tell you how I am enjoying my little pony-tail, especially at 40. For most of my life, I used to covet the pony-tails I saw other ladies sporting. I wanted one so badly! During the 80's I remember watching Pebbles' Mercedes Boy video, the one where she was riding in a Benz and wearing a hat with a cute pony-tail hanging out in the back. I was almost drooling as I thought, "One day I am going to have me a pony-tail too!" So now that I have one my mission has become to keep my hair/scalp healthy and free from overprocessing so that the sections of hair that had stopped growing will continue growing and one day catch up with other sections. Maybe by the time I am 45 my hair will be all one length. At least that is my hope. Because of this, I will only wear my hair in a pony-tail one more day this week -- I try to avoid putting stress on the same areas repeatedly. As a result, I am seeing less breakage.
Just keeping you posted on my progress. Hopefully things are going well with your hair too!
Best Regards,
Carolyn
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Praise the Lord Winter is Over! (5-9-06)
Hey Ladies,
I had to break out the white suit. It is beautiful out, and after a cold winter, I am glad to see my hair held up even though I wore it down probably more than I should have. I am also always glad when a suit fits another year, and I can breathe and sit comfortably in it. :-) Speaking of that, if you haven't already read my article on weight-loss, the Spring is a great time to start a new fitness regimen.
In fact, I have been so busy trying to finish the latest book I am working on (it is based on some of the information I share in the weight-loss article -- due out in Jan 2007), that I have not sat under the dryer to deep-condition in "I-don't-know-when". I have been doing more pre-shampoo treatments using a new improved formula of my hot oil treatment (will be available later this summer), which has worked wonders, especially when I use coconut milk with it (I will share more when I perfect this routine).
This style was recycled from the set I did yesterday. After I massaged my scalp with HHIB Oil Spray, rubbed some onto separate sections, gently combed it and smoothed on some of my Hair Creme, I separated my hair in two sections and put a Caruso curler on the bottom of each for about 5 minutes. Once I took them out, I turned my head upside down so the hair would hang, and then I sprayed the crown area with "Bumble and Bumble" Black Hair Powder (I bought it at PR @ Partners) to temporarily cover my gray, which is showing all the way out (I still have to use hair mascara for the edges)! Because this spray can have a matte finish, I also sprayed a little Isoplus Oil Spray on the crown area to make sure there was shine. This may sound like a lot of steps, but I spent less than 15 minutes total to get a hair style that will last me for the rest of the week or until I shampoo.
Tomorrow I might get the headband out, or I just might do an updo to give my ends a break. At least I have options, which is one of the reasons I like to share my routine, just in case someone might think of something they can do with their hair that they might not have thought of. Hope it helps!
Until the next time...
Peace, Love & Continual Blessings,
Carolyn Gray
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Long Time No See (5-8-06)
Hello Ladies,
I know it has been a while, but I just wanted to say hi and let you know I am hanging in there in terms of trying to take care of my hair. My focus is now on thickness more so than length (I am still trimming my ends myself with trimming scissors I bought from Sally's). This is why you keep hearing me preach about not relaxing or coloring too frequently. I believe the combination of not relaxing/coloring too frequently and massaging my scalp with my HHIB Oil Spray has helped my hair to get a lot thicker over the last 6 months. However, it takes a while for the new growth to reach the ends.
That is where you find me now -- with roots that are a lot thicker than before, which is good, but I am now more tempted to relax at 10 weeks instead of 12 weeks or more.
In this picture, I am a little past the 5-week mark. I shampooed and conditioned my hair in the shower yesterday using Ion Silk Shampoo from their Silk Solutions line (I bought it at Sally's a few months ago) and their Silk Conditioner. The shampoo was really good -- my hair felt like silk when I washed it out, but the conditioner did not leave it as smooth as I thought.
However, after I air dried it overnight (I parted it down the middle and left it loose) using HHIB Oil Spray, I did like the fullness and the way it felt, so maybe it was good. I would have to try it again before I could really recommend anyone try it.
Anyway, I set my hair on 6 large Caruso curlers the next morning like I usually do, but I twisted the hair around the curlers in a spiral pattern and left the curlers in for about 5 minutes. When I took the curlers out, I sprayed my hair lightly with Isoplus Oil Spray, and I separated the curls with my fingers. The style had a lot of swing and bounce; however, the curls won't last more than a day or two. So if I wear it down tomorrow, the ends may need to be bumped/curled a bit.
I will check back with you tomorrow to share what I do next. Not sure if I will wear it up or down... Check back tomorrow on 5-9-06.
Until then...
Take Care,
Carolyn Gray
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Happy 40th to Me (2/15/06)
Hello Ladies,
This is the day after Valentine's Day. See my post from 2/14/06 where I was wearing a hair piece, and I talked a little about us loving our own hair and taking care of it so we are proud to wear our own hair on a regular basis. Fake hair is fine for a time, but my prayer is that we don't let it become the norm. We can get our own hair to be healthier and more beautiful. The goal is to be proud of what we have, and if for some reason we aren't, let's work to get our hair, our bodies and our lives to a state where we are happy with what we have.
My hair is not perfect, but I am on a mission to continue getting it as healthy as I can, especially now since I JUST TURNED 40!!!!!!. I have that goal for you all as well, which is why I invented the Healthier Hair in a Bottle! product line and why I share as much information as I can on this site. With just a little effort, we can see major improvements in a matter of weeks/months. So let's make a decision to make the most of what we have growing from our own heads!
In the meantime, to create this look I curled my hair 6 days ago using the Caruso Steamsetter (5 large curlers rolled upwards). Since then, I have been moisturizing every morning by spraying my scalp with HHIB Oil Spray and then massaging it in and rubbing a little in my hands and on sections. I also rub on a small amount of either HHIB Hair & Body Butter or Carolyn Gray's Hair & Skin Softening Creme (available as samples now) on the ends and hair before getting into the shower. I then alternate wearing updos and wearing it down, pulled back with a headband. Nothing fancy, but I can create a number of looks that work in professional and social settings. So just another option to avoid continual heat styling. I hope it helps.
In the meantime, take care of you and your hair!
Much Love & Continual Blessings,
Carolyn Gray
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Valentines Day (2/14/06)
Hey My Sisters!
I did not get a chance to say Happy Valentine's Day like I had hoped. I had planned to write a long article on loving yourself first as you look for your Mr. Right. However, I never got around to it. I was recovering from a chest cold, an exciting birthday weekend experience in New York (of course they would have major snow) and playing the Mommy & wife role. Also, because it was so cold, I pinned my hair up in a ball and threw my Toni Brattin' hair piece on top of it. So if you saw me running around today, it was not all my hair on top.
I am not an advocate of wearing hair "enhancers" on a regular basis, but sometimes to avoid curling and unnecessary wear and tear on my ends, this is a good temporary styling solution. I say this because the piece fits over my bun like a scrunchie, and it only needs to be secured with 2 bobby pins. I haven't curled my hair since Thursday morning and have worn it down on and off, so this was a good styling break for me. I will wear my hair down tomorrow so you can see what it looks like (I will post a picture).
Until then, I encourage you to look for ways to give your hair a break from heat and other forms of abuse. However, remember it is not a real break if your hair is pulled back too tightly or if glues or bonding agents are used. We must be very careful about how we give our hair so-called breaks. Also, when we do, my preference is to find believable, natural-looking hair pieces -- my husband always says, "Try to fool someone." I personally think it is more becoming to us.
On a day that promotes the celebration of love, I would like to encourage us to love our hair enough not to cover it for long periods with fake hair. Yes, I said it! However, you know I am not talking to sisters who are dealing with health issues that have caused them to lose their hair. I am talking to those of us who never let anyone see our real hair. Our hair does not have to be long, it does not have to be straight --regardless of how it is, we must love it enough not to constantly hide it. There are a number of young sisters, especially celebrities, who I have never seen their real hair. I won't name any names, but it is so early in the game for that. I can understand with some older sisters, who may have serious thinning/pattern baldness issues, but for ladies who are embarrassed because they have short hair, I would encourage you to take your wigs, weaves and hair pieces off more often than you leave them on.
Let's try to get the hair we have in the best shape we can. I will help any way I can -- free samples, advice or even another newsletter if it would help. So my sermon is over, but it has been on my heart for years to say that we can use fake hair for temporary convenience or occasional styling options, but I don't want us to be in bondage to them. Enough said!
Much Love to You,
Carolyn
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Week 12 & Counting (11-14-05)
Hey Ladies,
It's me again. I have posted pictures 3 weeks straight -- at week 10, 11 and now 12 (1 day before week 13, I have had to cancel at least 3 appointments) of my last relaxer. Sometimes people think I have everything all figured out with the hair thing, but these pictures are to let anyone who is confused know that I am just figuring it out as I go along like everyone else. The only difference is that I am sharing as I go. :-)
Anyway, this picture shows me enjoying a day with my hair down before my roots, which are riddled with new growth, get totally out of control. As I mentioned in the pictures I posted for 10/28 and 11/4, I usually wear my hair down the first 2 days after I shampoo.
Well, this picture shows me the day after shampooing and conditioning my hair and then air drying it over night. As I do every day, I massaged the scalp with HHIB Oil Spray and applied it to the hair as well. I also applied HHIB Hair & Body Butter to the hair and ends for protection and extra shine. Then I rolled five sections of hair under with the Caruso Steam Hair Setter for about 5 minutes. Once I took the curlers out, I sprayed my hair with Isoplus Oil Sheen (probably too much because my hair is a little too shiny in this picture). I then separated the curls with my fingers and flipped my head forward, pulling the curls to the top of my head. I tried to leave it down, but it just didn't look right, so I put a large amount of hair up in a banana clip, leaving a few strands out on the left side in the front. I also let some hang out in the back, and I thought it looked pretty decent.
No blow drying/combing/brushing/curling irons/no holding spray and only about 15 minutes worth of effort. Then for a few hours I was able to forget about the fact that I can barely comb my roots! This week I am going to get a touch-up, no matter what! I have fought the good fight as long as I can with these roots.
Hang in there with whatever fight you are fighting!
Love, Peace & Continual Blessings,
Carolyn Gray
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11 Weeks & Counting (11/4/05)
Hi Ladies,
Here I am four days away from the 12-week mark in my relaxer. Lord help, it is a struggle, but well worth it (I hope).
I have learned to cope by weekly shampooing and conditioning. I still air dry, so to keep my hair looking shiny and smooth, I massage my scalp with HHIB Oil Spray every morning and rub HHIB Hair & Body Butter on sections before combing/styling. The first two days after shampooing, my hair and roots are pretty soft, so I usually curl my hair with the Caruso Steam Hair Setter, and I wear my hair down. The next three or four days, when my roots start to get a little bushier, especially in the later stages of my relaxer, I usually wear my hair in an updo (see the 10/28/05 picture). Then after I get tired of that and can't really comb the roots as much, I put it in a pony-tail as you see here. For one or two days a week, this works well for me, and the curls left over from the curling I did on Monday are still around.
This style keeps me from having to comb and detangle as much, and my hair still looks pretty professional. I just make sure the hair in the pony-tail is well moisturized with my Oil Spray and Hair & Body Butter. Now that it is colder, I also put a little Ends Treatment on the very ends.
Another life saver for me, since my edges are a bit "peasy", and I have a good bit of gray, is my black hair mascara -- It makes a major difference in how young/old I look. It also keeps me from being as dependent on coloring my hair. So with that and the HHIB products, I am really good to go, but I must admit every week is a struggle, so I'd be lying if I said I am not looking forward to getting a touch-up VERY soon!
This, and pictures like it, are taken to show that we really can stretch out our relaxers so we are not as dependent on the chemicals. I believe this will eventually improve the overall health of our hair. I must admit I have seen a difference in the thickness of my hair. However, it is a learning process though... When I used to try to do this a little over a year ago, my husband would be asking me, "Isn't it time for a touch-up?" He isn't asking me that as much any more unless he tries to run his hands through my roots real fast, and then we would both be in trouble! :-)
In the meantime, take care of yourself & your hair.
Peace, Love & Continual Blessings,
Carolyn Gray
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New Growth Management (10/28/05)
Hi Ladies,
Here is a picture of me at the 10 week mark in my relaxer as I try to cope with a good amount of new growth. Even though it is a struggle to handle two different textures of hair, I have learned to cope by weekly shampooing and conditioning. I still air dry, so to keep my hair looking shiny and smooth, I massage my scalp with HHIB Oil Spray every morning and rub HHIB Hair & Body Butter on sections before combing/styling. The first two days after shampooing, my hair and roots are pretty soft, so I usually curl my hair with the Caruso Steam Hair Setter, and I wear my hair down. The next three or four days, when my roots start to get a little bushier in the later stages of my relaxer, I usually wear it twisted and pinned up like it is in this picture. I pull most of my hair back like I am going to put it in a pony-tail, then I twist it over to the left, wrap it around the top, over to the left, and then secure it on top with bobby pins. The bobby pins are not actually on the ends, but maybe a fourth of an inch before the ends, and I tuck the ends under. I leave a little hair out in the front, so it doesn't look as boring (sometimes I have strands down on both sides in the front, and others maybe one strand down on the left or the right side).
This is not an exciting hairstyle, but variations of it can give us a low-maintenance professional look to get through the work week. As I do this style, I don't do a lot of combing, I can get away with detangling most of my hair with my fingers, and I use a wide-tooth comb to lightly smooth the hair hanging in the front and on the ends as needed.
Nothing fancy, but these types of styles help me not to relax my hair as much, which is my goal... Hopefully, it can also help some of you stretch your relaxers out as long as you can. | | |
